McKinney Middle School 420 East Enon RoadYellow Springs, Ohio 45387 ablake@ysschools.org Power of the Pen
Dear Power of the Pen Parents in Earnest Support (PoPPIES,) Welcome PoPPIES! As you now know your child has begun participating in the after-school co-curricular activity called Power of the Pen (PoP). I would like you to fully understand what Power of the Pen is and how it operates. Please explore the official Power of the Pen website at: http://www.powerofthepen.org McKinney Middle School’s PoP club meets most Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the school year from 3:30 - 5:00. Often there are after-school snacks. Parents are always welcomed to provide Dollar General microwaveable popcorn or other snacks. Students participating in co-curricular activities that conflict with the Tuesday and Thursday PoP meetings must make at least one PoP meeting a week. Attending at least one meeting a week is critical to sharpening writing skills, improving writing time, and building the camaraderie that is essential to the success of a cohesive writing group. All McKinney Middle School students are eligible to participate in the co-curricular; however, since Power of the Pen consists of interscholastic writing tournament competitions throughout Ohio, individuals compete to be members of the McKinney 7th - and 8th- grade PoP teams. The team selection process includes assessing how strongly writers perform in a mock tournament: producing a competitive piece of creative writing in response to an unknown prompt in 40 minutes, three times in a row. Team members are selected after the McKinney PoP Lock-in, held at the school in November.
Pleasenote: Check the Dates to Remember below and mark your family calendars early. If a student knows he or she will be unavailable for a competition, he or she should not become a member of the competitive teams. There are no substitutions for team participants after the District Tournament. Cancellations cost the team money and a spot in the tournament. It is not uncommon for students to be members of the PoP club, and not team members headed for competition. All PoP club members can participate in all activities, except writing in the competitive tournaments. These activities include: · Writing and receiving constructive feedback on Tuesdays and Thursdays · Fund-raising (school dances, bake sales, etc.) · Attending the writing tournaments (with responsibilities other than writing) · If the competitive team members qualify to go to State at the end of the year club members may also attend (with responsibilities other than writing) Dates to Remember:
Saturday, Feb 12, 2011: District-level competition, hosted by McKinney Middle School;
* Saturday, Mar 26, 2011: Regional-level competition, hosted by Minster Middle School; (If your family is planning a trip over the spring break, departing prior to 1 p.m., March 26 and you will be unable to participate in the Regional Tournament, you may not be a member of the competitive team.)
*Thursday and Friday, May 26-27, 2011: State Tournament, hosted by College of Wooster (If your family is planning a trip over the Memorial Day Weekend, and will be departing prior to5 p.m., May 27, and you will be unable to participate in the State Tournament, you may not be a member of the competitive team.)
There are opportunities for PoPPIES to help the club throughout the year. Some of the needs for volunteers include:
Providing after school snacks
Assisting with fund-raisers (chaperoning school dances; baking)
Assisting with the district tournament (registration, chaperoning, Tab Room volunteers)
Chaperoning Regional and State tournaments
The writers have shown a strong start this year. We have lots of talent, commitment, and camaraderie. I am including a page dedicated to Power of the Pen on my wikispace (once I get it up and going), but please do not hesitate to call e-mail me if you have any questions or if you want to volunteer. As PoPPIES , you are highly valued. Your support and assistance will be greatly appreciated throughout the year.
ablake@ysschools.org
Power of the Pen
Dear Power of the Pen Parents in Earnest Support (PoPPIES,)
Welcome PoPPIES! As you now know your child has begun participating in the after-school co-curricular activity called Power of the Pen (PoP). I would like you to fully understand what Power of the Pen is and how it operates. Please explore the official Power of the Pen website at:
http://www.powerofthepen.org
McKinney Middle School’s PoP club meets most Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the school year from 3:30 - 5:00. Often there are after-school snacks. Parents are always welcomed to provide Dollar General microwaveable popcorn or other snacks. Students participating in co-curricular activities that conflict with the Tuesday and Thursday PoP meetings must make at least one PoP meeting a week. Attending at least one meeting a week is critical to sharpening writing skills, improving writing time, and building the camaraderie that is essential to the success of a cohesive writing group.
All McKinney Middle School students are eligible to participate in the co-curricular; however, since Power of the Pen consists of interscholastic writing tournament competitions throughout Ohio, individuals compete to be members of the McKinney 7th - and 8th- grade PoP teams. The team selection process includes assessing how strongly writers perform in a mock tournament: producing a competitive piece of creative writing in response to an unknown prompt in 40 minutes, three times in a row. Team members are selected after the McKinney PoP Lock-in, held at the school in November.
Please note: Check the Dates to Remember below and mark your family calendars early. If a student knows he or she will be unavailable for a competition, he or she should not become a member of the competitive teams. There are no substitutions for team participants after the District Tournament. Cancellations cost the team money and a spot in the tournament.
It is not uncommon for students to be members of the PoP club, and not team members headed for competition. All PoP club members can participate in all activities, except writing in the competitive tournaments. These activities include:
· Writing and receiving constructive feedback on Tuesdays and Thursdays
· Fund-raising (school dances, bake sales, etc.)
· Attending the writing tournaments (with responsibilities other than writing)
· If the competitive team members qualify to go to State at the end of the year club members may also attend (with responsibilities other than writing)
Dates to Remember:
There are opportunities for PoPPIES to help the club throughout the year. Some of the needs for volunteers include:
The writers have shown a strong start this year. We have lots of talent, commitment, and camaraderie. I am including a page dedicated to Power of the Pen on my wikispace (once I get it up and going), but please do not hesitate to call e-mail me if you have any questions or if you want to volunteer. As PoPPIES , you are highly valued. Your support and assistance will be greatly appreciated throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Aurelia A. Blake